Conventional techniques for characterizing tunnel junction film stacks require extensive processing of a semiconductor wafer in order to measure a few characteristics of the tunnel junction film stack. This processing is time consuming, complex, and can ruin devices created via processing. Additionally, even if processing creates suitable devices for test, it is unclear whether measurements have been influenced by the processing. In other words, it is unclear as to whether the measurements are a function of the tunnel junction film stack, the processing that creates additional structures needed to measure characteristics of the tunnel junction film stack, the additional structures, or some combination of these.
Consequently, a need exists for characterizing tunnel junction films without time consuming and expensive processing that is fraught with accompanying flaws.